Getting Animated about TOD in Mexico: Transit Oriented Development in 3 Minutes

October 23, 2013

As part of the growing momentum for Transit Oriented Development in Mexico, yesterday ITDP Mexico premiered a new video, “Mejores Calles, Mejores Ciudades” (Better Streets, Better Cities), advocating for the implementation of TOD strategies throughout the country. Although some cities have made great progress demonstrating the successes of sustainable urban development, many urban centers across Mexico are in need of new vision and policies to create more livable cities for their residents. The video encourages the use of TOD to create efficient, equitable, sustainable cities throughout Mexico.

ITDP Mexico’s video “Better Streets, Better Cities” explains the need for more compact development. In Spanish, or turn on English subtitles.

All over the world, there are cities where residents can walk with ease, bike with security, use quality public transit, and gather in public spaces. Residents’ quality of life is higher, because opportunities to study, work, and play can be found near their homes. Mexico City has taken great strides toward making this vision a reality in recent years, through projects such as the expansion of the Metrobus BRT, parking reforms, and the Ecobici bike share program. With the tools of TOD, this model can spread across Mexico, raising the quality of life in cities across the country.

The rapid growth of cities in Mexico has created an unprecedented expansion of urban sprawl. Between 1980 and 2010, in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants the surface area has grown faster than their populations, which has meant a reduction in population density of 67%. This raises the costs of public services such as public transportation, and gives incentives to use personal vehicles, with serious consequences for the sustainability of the country.

It’s time to reinvent urban development strategies, making walking, cycling and public transportation the key elements around which we develop cities.

ITDP Mexico supports the adoption of TOD as part of the national program for urban development, and on the city level. It is a tool that builds mobility that is efficient, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for city residents, and a tool that leads to better streets and better cities.

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